Storage-case fovr books



(No Model.)

H. J. HOFFMAN. STORAGE CASE FOR BOOKS, &o., No. 450,124. Patented Apr.7,. 1891.

Hifliiii r y- 27/519666 Ira 6712521 96W,

QM Ev Oahu-5.4

UNITED STATE PATENT rF cE.

HORACE J. HOFFMAN, OF MILWAUKEE, WVISOONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE FENTON METALLIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

OF NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,124, dated April'7, 1891.

Application filed February 12, 1887- Serial No. 227,363. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORACE J. HOFFMAN, of the city and county ofMilwaukee, and State of WVisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Storage Cases for Books, 850.; and I do hereby declarethat the following is afull, clear, and exact description of theinvention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to facilitate the handling and prevent theabrasion and injury of heavy books, &c. It consists, essentially, of thepeculiar arrangement of the guiding and supporting rollers and of thepeculiarities in the construction of the case and shelves hereinafterspecifically set forth.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts inthe several figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet or case embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of one of theshelves or book-supporting racks. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section ofthe same on the line mm, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of one ofthe upright guide-roll bearings, showing also the method of securing thebook shelves or racks in the case; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectiontaken on the line y y, Fig. 4.

A represents the cabinet or case, which is preferably formed of heavysheet-iron, with or without a back, as desired.

B is one of the book-supporting shelves or racks composed of a metallicframe, in which are mounted rollers for guiding and supporting thebooks, 650. This metallic frame is preferably formed of heavy band ironin sections 0 c c c and c 0 The section 0, forming the back of the rack,extends from side to side of the case A, and is bent forward at each endat right angles, and perforated or notched, as shown in Fig. 4, toreceive the bolts a a, by which the rack is secured at the rear to saidcase. The two sections 0' c are attached to the section 0 a shortdistance inside of the ends thereof, extend from the back to the frontof the case,

0 is attached at its ends to the rear section 0 and extends from theback to the front of the case parallel with the sections 0 c and formsthe center of the front side of the frame, which is bent inwardly at 0thus exposing a portion of the book to the grasp and facilitating itsremoval from the case. Cross-sections 0 0 parallel with and a little tothe rear of the front of the roller-frame, connect and brace thesections 0 c and c Rollers n n, made of iron, wood, or any suitablematerial, are mounted, as shown in Fig. 2, in pairs parallel with thefront and rear edges of the rack B between the sections 0' c and 0 whichare perforated and furnish bearings for the journals of said rollers.One of each pair of said rollers, preferably the front one a, is setabove the other and projects above the roller-frame, as seen in Fig. 2,so as to support a book out of contact with said frame. The rear rollersn 'n of each pair are made to project below the roller-frame and thusprevent the book on the rack next below, when tilted in removing orinserting the same in the case, from rub bing against said frame. Bythus arranging one set of rollers below the other each set operatesindependently, and when a book is resting upon the rollers n n and abook being placed upon or removed from the shelf or rack next belowengages any of the rollers n 12. they will turn freely without effectupon the book resting above on the rollers n n.

If desired, rollers n n may be placed between the side limbs of section0 of the roller-frame on a level with the rollers n n to prevent thebook from sagging at the center. For supporting all ordinary sizes ofbooks, however, the rollers not, if properly disposed, are sufficientwithout the rollers 41 11.

The front rollersnn are set as seen in Figs. 2 and 3 in front of thecross-sections c c of the roller-frame, and project slightly in front ofand above said frame, so as to prevent contact between said frame and abook whenever the latter is inserted in or removed from the case A atany inclination to the racks B.

At the ends of the racks B, just in advance of the sides of case A andprojecting a little inside of the same, I provide the upright rollers DD, which are j ournaled in brackets cl d, secured to the sides of saidcase A, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5.

For convenience in moving the case two short upright rollers D D may beset in advance of the rollers D D in extensions d d of the bracketssupporting the adjacent ends of said rollers D D, as shown in Fig. 1.Said rollers D D serve not only as handles for moving the case, but alsoin place of rollers D to prevent the ends of a book placed on theadjacent rack B from rubbing against the side of said ease. The bracketsd d not only furnish bearings for the upright rollers D D, but servealso to connect and retain in place the upright parts of the caseadjacent to and forming the slots a a.

I do not here claim the combination of horizontal and vertical rollersherein set forth, as the same constitutes the subject of a separateapplication upon which Letters Patent were issued October '7 1890, No.487,833.

\Vithout limiting myself to the precise con- 0 struction of parts shown,I claimn 1. In a storage-case for books, 850., the combination of asupporting rack or shelf composed of metallic strips and having are-entrant bend or recess in its front edge and rollers journaled insaid rack and project-' ing above and in front of the same on each sideof said bend or recess, substantially as described.

2. In a book-shelf, the combination of a supporting-frame, a series ofhorizontal rollers, the front roller in two separated sections, theintermediate part of the frame being carried back to permit theadmission of the hand be tween said roller-sections, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a roller-shelf, a frame wi h a handhole at the front to permit thehand to pass back of the forward bar and with the for wardsupporting-rollers at opposite sides of said hand-hole, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I a'ffix my signaturein presenceof two witnesses.

HORACE J. HOFFMAN. Witnesses:

CHAS. L. Goss, GEORGE M. GoLL.

